Taylor set for Cy Falls match

Published 12:02 am, Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Katy Taylor volleyball players don't want to let up after challenging for the District 19-5A championship last season, but making another run at the title is going to be very difficult this season.

The Lady Mustangs, who eventually finished third in district, are starting over with just four returning lettermen, only two of which saw significant minutes last season.

That means they'll need to work hard early on to fine-tune their chemistry and begin learning how to play well together, and Taylor coach Brooke Plemons says they will after a promising offseason.

"These kids haven't played a ton together because we do have so many young kids who will be coming in, and because even with the older kids who we have coming back, really Logan (Johnson) and Kennedy (McKern) are the only two who have true experience playing at the varsity level," Plemons said.

The new-look Lady Mustangs began the season against Jersey Village. Now, in a break from the two-day Katy ISD tournament, which runs Thursday and Saturday, they face a tough Cypress Falls team.

ABOUT THE MATCH

Matchup: Katy Taylor vs. Cypress Falls

When: 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12

Where: Taylor High School

What's at stake: With so many new faces, the Lady Mustangs are looking for chemistry and confidence early on this season, and there's no better way to build both up quickly than earning a big win over a solid opponent. But the Lady Golden Eagles will be looking for revenge after dropping a four-set match to Taylor last season at home.

Taylor: Covington was brought up midseason last year because the Lady Mustangs needed a bigger blocker to help out defensively. She also played a little on the right side. But as a freshman, the 5-foot-11 Covington still was adjusting to the speed of varsity play. "It allowed her to practice with us and get a little bit of playing time and get used to the speed of play, and I know she had a good club season, so I think she's ready to step up and play for us this year," Plemons said.

Cy Falls: In their loss to Taylor last season, in which they won the second set but finally fell 25-8 in Game 4, the Lady Golden Eagles were led by Clark-Bibbs, who supplied 15 kills in a losing effort. Johnson had seven kills for the Lady Mustangs. … Cy Falls went 10-6 in 17-5A to finish third.